How circular are circular business models? The case of the fashion industry

Henniger, Claudia, Brydges, Taylor, Hracs, Brian and Amasawa, Eri (2025) How circular are circular business models? The case of the fashion industry. In 32nd CIRP Conference on Life Cycle Engineering (LCE 2025). Elsevier BV. 6 pp . (In Press)

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

In recent years, we have seen an increase in circular business models (e.g., swapping and renting) emerging within the fashion industry. These‘new’ business models are seen as a response to the criticism the fashion industry has received regarding being unsustainable. Namely, polluting the environment, exploiting workers and consumers and prioritising profits. Although an emerging body of research focuses on circular business models, more is needed on how circular these models actually are and what the sustainability (environmental, social, economic) implications maybe. This is addressed within this research by drawing on an interdisciplinary outlook. This article will provide an overview of the current state of circular business models in the fashion industry and offer insights into their true circularity and sustainability.

Text

V2 CIRP Circular Business Models - Proof

Available under License Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives.

Download (615kB)